Covers are used for protecting batteries from undesirable elements in a variety of applications. Some covers encase the entire battery while others cover certain portions thereof. In the automotive industry covers are currently used to protect battery terminals and cable connectors, and in particular the positive terminal, from corrosive elements caused by acidic fumes given off by the battery which builds up on or between the terminals and cable connectors. There are several known means by which the battery terminals and cable connectors are covered and hence protected.
One cover for automotive terminals as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,430, comprises a dielectric block for encasing the conductive portions of the terminals and cable connectors, thereby insulating the battery from corrosive elements. The cover further comprises a conductive sleeve extending outwardly from the dielectric block to provide a lodation for attaching cables when jump starting the motor vehicle.
Another cover presently utilized in the automotive industry is a sealed surface cover which encloses the entire top portion of the battery and includes a terminal cover which extends from the surface cover to create an overhang above the positive and negative terminals. This type of cover is usually only capable of protecting terminals which are located on the top of the battery; terminals on the side of the battery are, therefore, typically not covered.
Some conventional automotive battery terminal and connector covers are often incapable of keeping the cover secure while the motor vehicle is in operation because they simply rest on top of the battery and are not locked in a closed position. One such conventional cover utilizes a flexible, rubber boot which slideably receives a battery cable therethrough and lays over the terminal and cable connector. These flexible rubber covers have a tendency to slide along the battery cable and often become dislocated and damaged during normal vehicle operation.
Another difficulty encountered with present cover designs is providing easy access to the battery terminals and connectors for servicing the battery and jump starting the car. Many conventional covers utilize a thin, flexible plastic strap to secure the cover to the battery cable. A basic problem associated with such covers is that the strap is easily distorted and broken after being used to access the terminals and cable connectors.
Most conventional covers also leave a dangerous, exposed conductive area on the battery terminals which if bridged with a conductive tool will in all likelihood short-circuit the battery. Additionally, many connector covers currently used, present quality control problems for manufacturers because they must be manually installed and are, therefore sometimes installed incorrectly or not at all. These manually installed covers are positioned about the battery cables before the cables are crimped to the battery connectors and terminals; therefore the cover must be manually moved out of the way so that the operator can cut and strip the insulation around the battery cables in order to hand crimp the cables to the battery connectors. Hand crimping creates quality control problems because of human error, is often time consuming, and more costly than automated assembly.
The cover of U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,459 may solve some of the aforementioned problems associated with conventional cable connector covers. That cover locks shut while still allowing access to the battery terminals and connectors and comprises a one-piece molded housing having a base with a bore for receiving a battery terminal therethrough and a cap for enclosing the battery terminals and connectors, the base and the cap being hingedly connected at the battery terminal end. This connector cover receives the battery cable through a cable collar that projects outwardly from both the base and the cap. Although this cover provides corrosion protection for the battery terminal and connector, it has several disadvantages associated with it. One such disadvantage is that the connector cover must be placed over the battery terminal before the battery cables and connectors are attached to the battery terminal. This can be a very awkward process because the assembler must open the cover so that it is out of the way while making sure the bore in the base of the cover stays over the battery terminal and then attempt to attach the cable connector to the same battery terminal. This process is all done by hand because the connector cover is not adapted for automated assembly to the battery cable or connector. Additionally, the connector cover can be difficult to open because the base must be pinched in while the cap is pulled off and the cover, therefore usually requires two hands to open. Once the cover is opened, the battery cable located at the base of the connector is uncovered thereby exposing a dangerous conductive area of the battery cable that is not covered by insulation. This conductive area, if bridged with a conductive tool, could cause the battery to short circuit, the operator to be injured, and the cable to be damaged. Because the battery cable is received within the cover by a molded cable collar, the size of the battery cable the connector cover can accommodate is limited which renders the cover limited to use with only a narrow range of cable sizes. Finally, the connector cover must be shipped separately from the associated cable because the cover does not include any means to position and hold it onto the cable; therefore it is more costly to ship, handle, and store.